Tag Archives: Michael Jackson

Quincy Jones ‘ musical direction took Michael Jackson from being a star to being an international superstar, Had there been no Q – the production quality of Jackson’s three biggest albums would have been different, and arguably less stellar.

Quincy Jones sued Michael Jackson’s estate on Friday claiming he is owed millions in royalties and production fees on some of the superstar’s greatest hits.

Jones’ lawsuit seeks at least $10 million from the singer’s estate and Sony Music Entertainment, claiming the entities improperly re-edited songs to deprive him of royalties and production fees. The music has been used in the film “This Is It” and a pair of Cirque du Soleil shows based on the King of Pop’s songs, the lawsuit states.

Jones also claims that he should have received a producer’s credit on the music in “This Is It.” His lawsuit seeks an accounting of the estate’s profits from the works so that Jones can determine how much he is owed.

The producer worked with Jackson on three of his most popular solo albums, “Off the Wall,” ”Thriller” and “Bad.”

Jackson’s estate wrote in a statement that it was saddened by Jones’ lawsuit. “To the best of its knowledge, Mr. Jones has been appropriately compensated over approximately 35 years for his work with Michael,” the statement said.

An after-hours message left at Sony Music’s New York offices was not immediately returned.

Jackson’s hits “Billie Jean,” ”Thriller” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” are among the songs Jones claims were re-edited to deprive him of royalties and his producer’s fee. Jones’ lawsuit states the producer’s contracts called for him to have the first opportunity to re-edit or alter the songs, in part to protect his reputation.

Trends come and go relative to Wedding Parties. One which seems to have caught on in recent years is a new form of Wedding dance which replaces the old style Waltz with a closely choreographed set of steps by the groom, bride or family.

Have to admit – these are fun, and add to the memory of what is a joyous occasion.

Michael Jackson, among the most famous and beloved performers in pop music history, spent his final days in a sleep-deprived haze of medication and misery until finally succumbing to a fatal dose of potent drugs given to him by the private physician he had hired to act as his personal pharmaceutical dispensary, a jury decided on Monday.

The physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter nearly two and a half years after the star’s shocking death at age 50. The verdict came after nearly 50 witnesses, 22 days of testimony and less than two days of deliberation by a jury of seven men and five women. The trial had focused primarily on whether Dr. Murray was guilty of abdicating his duty or of acting with reckless criminal negligence, directly causing his patient’s death.

Dr. Murray now faces up to four years in prison and the loss of his medical license. Judge Michael Pastor denied a defense request for bail for Dr. Murray and ordered him handcuffed and taken into immediate custody in the courtroom…

There were growing signs Wednesday morning that the half-year investigation into the death of Michael Jackson could be coming to a conclusion.

L.A. prosecutors continue to decline comment on when — or if — they will charge Jackson’s personal physician in connection with the pop star’s death. But law enforcement sources have told The Times it’s possible a decision will come sometime this week.

A lawyer for the Houston-based doctor, Conrad Murray, said Tuesday that his client is in Los Angeles and prepared to surrender if authorities file charges against him.

“I don’t have any specific information that leads me to believe he is going to be charged this week,” lawyer Ed Chernoff said, “but if he is, we’ve made it clear he’s available to turn himself in.”

The arrival of Murray and Chernoff, his lead attorney, from Houston set off a new round of speculation that authorities, who have been mulling a manslaughter case against the doctor since last summer, were about to file charges.

A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office declined to say whether prosecutors planned to file a case against Murray. “All I can tell you is that we have not filed anything. When and if we do, we will let everyone know at one time,” spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said.

As has hit every news outlet in the world by now, Michael Jackson’s death has been ruled Manslaughter, which is to say…

Murder.

Police have yet to establish a motive for the crime, beyond malpractice by MJ’s Doctor – Dr. Conrad Murray. What is apparent though, is that significant portions of Dr. Murray’s initial testimony to police don’t stand up to closer scrutiny.

Whether other people were involved, or whether there was a plot of some sort appears to be pure conjecture at this point. Conjecture which morbidly will likely become legend as time goes on.

The most damning evidence against Dr. Murray is the timeline established by police and sequence of events leading to MJ’s death – Read the rest of this entry »